 On formation, there were 17 branches, with 3,100 members, while by February 1860, twenty-two societies had joined, representing 3,536 workers.A recession hit trade from 1861, and membership then fell, to a low of around 2,400 in 1863.The Association actively supported the London Builders' Strike of 1859–60, which brought about the foundation of the London Trades Council.